~WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHH!!!~
The gust of flames, as well as pure pressure, that followed Jerry's strike was enough to push the horde of Nether Beasts back—even if for only a few seconds.
Thankfully, that much was enough.
"GUUUUUAAAAAA—!"
All of the terrifying creatures met their end as the flames of destruction consumed them, leaving none behind.
"Haa…" Jerry's transformation was already undone, revealing his human form.
His auburn hair danced on his head as he gave a tired smile.
'Looks like this is it…' His vision was already blurry, and he had completely lost control over his body.
He couldn't see, hear, move… or even breathe.
It seemed he had used up everything in his pursuit for victory, and as such his end was inevitable.
Whether this would serve as a success or failure on his part was still questionable, but Jerry didn't feel any tinge of worry or regret.
Strangely enough, he felt nothing but satisfaction.
'I… I didn't give up.'
That was what mattered most at this very moment.
He didn't go back on his promise.
'I… Ciara…' His thoughts trailed as he began to lose his grip on reality.
The last thing he saw with his blurry vision was the individual who floated at the center of the explosion.
She had the form of a woman, and while he couldn't completely make out her features, he could see that she was shrouding in so much energy that it made his full power seem like a joke in comparison.
It seemed she was the cause of the Hive's destruction.
While Jerry didn't yet know of her identity, he could not help but be glad for her intervantion.
After all, without it, he would have painfully lost.
'Thank you…'
With those final thoughts echoing in his subconscious, Jerry passed out.
*******
[Moments Earlier]
In the vastness of space, close to the Hive before its inevitable destrution, a lone Half Elf girl stood amidst a wave of Nether Beasts, a wide smile plastered on her face.
"Haha…" As her voice echoed in a chuckle, she carefully observed the enemies before her.
Her black and white hair swayed back and forth as energy rushed from her, and her pupils—blue and violet respectively—took in all the information she required from her targets.
'I see. A total of seven hundred and eighty-three. More are incoming, so if I calculate their spawn rate, there should be a total of four hundred and nine Nether Beasts appearing per minute. That, of course, is contingent upon the assumption that the premise is constant.'
Lemi's large-scale barrier made it impossible for the surrounding Nether Beasts to even lay a finger on her or come anywhere close.
As a result, she was able to continue her analysis without any interruption.
'Accounting for an increase or decrease in the spawn rate, based on the data collected thus far, it would be difficult to arrive at an accurate estimation. I suppose I can only guess. Then again, is there really any reason to utilize complicated procedures of determination in this scenario.'
In the end, her task was to dispose of her enemies. There was no specific time limit given, so she wasn't in any particular rush.
Lemi initially wante to study the Hive more and collect more data for future research, since she had grown more and more interested in Energy, and all her friends had been too busy to indulge her in her curious research.
Ana was too occupied with her missions and her current study on Nether condensation, while Jane seemed even busier for some reason.
In the end, she had to obtain all the information for herself.
Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow for her to freely explore the Hive. If she messed up or acted reckless, her father was going to chew her out.
Worst of all, he could kick her off the team.
'I can't allow that!' She clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
Even if she would rather die than admit it to him, she wanted to spend more time with her father now that he was finally back after ten years.
More than anything, she wanted him to see her… and just how much she had grown since their last teamup.
In the past, she could barely control her power. She even required wands to properly cast Spells and aim her power.
However, she was now an expert manipulator of energy… perhaps even more than most people.
Once she was done with the basics of Mana and Miasma, she graduated to learn and control Aether.
And now… she was even interested in Nether.
"Nearly three minutes have elapsed. I've gradually expanded my barrier, so its enough to contain hundreds of them at the same time. Plus, its now saturated with Aether, just as intended.'
She took one final glance at her enemies and realized they had more than doubled in size.
'Over two thousand of them. They're all pretty huge too…'
Lemi would have loved to capture one for her own personal experiment, but no one allowed her to do anything these days.
Apparently, she was too reckless.
'I'll show them…' A smile coursed through her face as she readied herself for what she considered to be the most effiecient way to deal with her enemies.
Lemi softened her barrier, allowing all the Nether Beasts to rush in to her location. They lunged at her in their hundreds, unaware of the expanding field that slowly encapsulated all of them at once.
'Now then…' She grinned wider.
Unlike most Mages that surrounded her, Lemi was yet to learn any transformation.
She had no Mage Mode.
She couldn't use Fusion Mode since she possessed no Familiar.
She never properly learned Elemental Chamber.
She didn't even have Original Magic.
With none of those things, how could she be so confident in her ability to take care of such a swarm of foes?
Well, Lemi had a little trump card, you see… and she decided it was time to unveil it to all the spectators—especially her father.
"[Original Technique: Absolute Domain]"
At that moment, she connected her internal Aether with the external Aether, resonating both to use a single Spell.
"[Cleaving Severance]"
Once Lemi uttered those words, every single Nether Beast stopped moving.
Their black bodies, their grotesque forms, their towering heights… all of those things suddenly became meaningless in the presence of Lemi's Spell.
… In her absolute domain.
Instantly, the Nether Beasts found themselves sliced into so many pieces that they became mere chunks of darkened flesh, before turning into even smaller chunks of meat.
They kept getting sliced and diced, eventually reducing to become tiny fragments.
"It is done…" Lemi smiled, watching as more creatures charged at her domain, unaware that they were rushing to their deaths.
She paid them no mind since her Spell was automated, instead shifting her gaze to her father who was watching her from a distance.
'How do you like that, old man?' She narrowed her gaze and widened her lips as she felt his eyes on her.
Just as she wanted… he was staring at her!
Not only were his eyes widened, but his mouth was gaping as he looked incredibly shocked at her ability.
'Hehe!'
She swiftly narrowed her gaze on him the moment she noticed he was muttering words, and using her suprior intellect, she was able to decipher what he said.
His words, filled with wonder and unbridled surprise, rang aloud in her mind.
"I-Isn't that SPELLCRAFT?!"
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[A/N]
It seems Lemi figured out Spellcraft on her own and called it her Original Technique.
Pfft!
Like father like daughter, I guess.
Thanks for reading.
